Fanfiction Spotlight #42

Fanfiction Spotlight #42
4/23/16

Happy Saturday, My Little Readers and Writers! Sorry for the late post (Twilight levels of mild anxiety about being almost a day late!), but Heartshine was stuck out in the community all day Friday, then had to drive to Idaho. Hopefully everyone enjoyed the new episode! Also, just a reminder that Everfree is only 3 weeks away! EEEEE!!!!

This week we have a Special Guest review by Grand_Moff_Pony, who loved a mystery. Silver Flare recommends a science-fantasy style story about an alternate Equestria, and I have one that is a beautifully crafted mystery and psychodrama.

Special thanks to Grand_Moff_Pony for volunteering his time to read and write up a review of a story he felt was worth of our attention!

As always enjoy!

---- Review by Silver Flare ----

Faultlines

by FawkesThePhoney
Words: 33,271 Complete: No
Recommended by Silver Flare

I hate to admit it, but I noticed this story primarily because of the cover art. I know, I know, I’ve become that guy; drawn to the pretty cover without the smallest inkling of what the content might be. But seriously, just look at those eyes. Gaze into those shining orbs and tell me you’re not the tiniest bit curious to find out what’s going on there. I dare you.

It helped that the summary for the story was intriguing too, so I gave it a shot. Right from the outset I was simultaneously repelled by the ‘studious purple unicorn protagonist’ archetype and thoroughly hooked by the detailed worldbuilding. Really, this is not the Equestria you know. It’s a world where the boiling heat of the sun scours one side, while the other is locked in ice. In the lateral belt between these extremes, ponies have done more than just survive. They have built up a civilization, prospering and thriving. A civilization where ponies are divided by racial lines that I’m still puzzling out. The worldbuilding itself was enough to pull me through the first chapter, whereupon the protagonist’s familiarity began to make some kind of sense...

It doesn’t stop there, as familiar faces pop up in incredibly unfamiliar roles while this stage play is being set. Neat factors about this world emerge, and the action sequences are fast-paced and dynamic (and bloody, see the ‘dark’ tag above). And while this world is very different, the Equestria we know and love might be closer to the surface than you’d think.

I don’t usually like to spotlight stories that are just getting started, mainly because the attrition rate of new authors is staggering, but I’m really hoping Fawkes keeps writing this one out. It’s fun to get inside of someone else’s head for awhile, see what kind of cool places you’ll find. This one, I’m thinking, is going to be well worth the time.

---- Guest Review by Grand_Moff_Pony ----

Analemma

by Miller Minus
Words: 11,639 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Grand_Moff_Pony

"Wasting time" may be a recurring theme of this story, but devoting a few minutes of your own to this lovely piece will be time well spent indeed.

The Mystery tag is relatively new to FimFiction, but Miller Minus wields it with a subtle touch that compels you forward, despite the seemingly nonsensical actions of both Princess Celestia and a fairly sarcastic narrator. Yet just when you begin to feel wholly lost, new clues emerge that give you exactly as much information as you need to dig just a bit deeper still. The puzzle hidden inside is deceptively simple at it's core, but beautiful imagery, consistent pacing, and dynamic narration keep you guessing all the way to the end.

The reward for your efforts is a pitch-perfect reveal wrapped in fine layers of subtlety and tied up with a small bow of humor that will put a smile on your face... and send you to Google to research just what a analemma is.

You should absolutely do that too, after you finish this story. Think of it as a bonus scene after the credits finish rolling.

All told, I absolutely enjoyed this story, and am proud to recommend it to you as well.

---- Review By Heartshine ----

Asylum

By Daemon of Decay
Words: 186,315 Complete: No
Recommended by Heartshine

For those who have an understanding of mental health for individuals who struggle with very severe problems, sometimes the greatest fear that we all possess is that one day we’re going to wake up and find out that everything we ever thought was happening was a lie.

Twilight awakens to find herself in a padded room, with a magical suppressor on her horn. The last thing she remembers is being with her friends in Ponyville. The story gets more confusing, wonderful, and heartwrenching as Daemon of Decay explores what it is like to be inside an inpatient psychiatric hospital, and how hard it is sometimes to tell reality from delusion.

I absolutely love this story. I came across it about a year ago while I was working with clients with Severe and Persistent Mental Illnesses at a small, underfunded outpatient clinic in Eastern Portland. Daemon of Decay does an absolutely phenomenal job with two things in this story. One, he builds convincing character flaw expansions for the ponies that are in the asylum. Two, he does a wonderful job of bending the flow of the story to make you truly wonder whether or not Twilight’s memory is flawed, or if she is just experiencing severe mental health symptoms. The only thing I don’t like about it is that Daemon of Decay hasn’t updated since March of last year. However, where the story stands now, it is definitely worth the read.